PHARR — Chukwubueze Ikondu’s journey to the top has been unlike most. The senior thrower immigrated from Nigeria to the United States in 2020.
Ikondu enrolled at Sharyland High and got his first taste of track and field, joining the Rattlers’ team with aspirations of being a runner. Those dreams didn’t last long, quickly figuring out he wasn’t fast enough to compete as a sprinter.
What he didn’t realize then, however, is how his thwarted dreams of being a sprinter would prove to be a blessing in disguise, being pushed toward trying throwing events.
“When I first came here from Nigeria in 2020, that is when I first entered track and field,” Ikondu said. “Before that, I hadn’t done any sports seriously. I would play some sports in my own time, but nothing serious. At first, I wanted to run but I wasn’t really fast enough, so somebody told me I should go throw. I started throwing then, but I didn’t really know what discus was. They had it in my country, but I didn’t really pay attention to it. I came in having to learn the basics, like getting the spin right.”
Fast forward three years, and Ikondu has mastered the basics and then some, capturing his first district title in the event during last week’s District 31-5A meet.
On Thursday, he solidified his position as one of the best throwers not only in the Valley but in the state, adding an area title with a personal-best mark of 179 feet, 11 inches during the area 31/32-5A track and field championships at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.
“I couldn’t ever imagine being here three years ago,” Ikondu said. “When I first started, I didn’t really like discus. But eventually I just started getting into it. I just started to imagine God sending my disc out. I just started getting better at it. The more you get better at something, the more you start to like it. People love that because it is a sign of your human growth. Getting where I am today, it is all thanks to the support from my family. They’re not here today, but they’re still supporting from behind. I’m here today, though, thanks to God.”
Ikondu entered the 2023 campaign with high expectations for himself after seeing massive improvement after one year of training. Last year, he improved from a personal-best mark of 114-9 as a sophomore to 161 feet as a junior.
This season, he set his sights on hitting the 180-feet mark, knowing it would give him the best chance to compete at the state level.
Despite falling just an inch short during the area meet, Ikondu finds himself among elite company, breaking the area meet record set by former PSJA Southwest and current Oklahoma thrower Diego Trevino in 2019 by nearly eight feet.
His mark also ranks No. 1 in Region IV-5A and No. 3 in Class 5A heading into next weekend’s regional meet, according to Athletic.net.
“At district, I feel like I didn’t do so good, so I was feeling down after that day,” Ikondu said. “After that, though, I came into practice and got my emotions right. I’m right there, nearly hitting the 180 mark now. Yesterday I hit 180 feet during practice. Today just makes it closer to official. Now, when people ask me what my best mark is I can say it officially. But in regionals, I’m aiming for above 180 feet now.”
Ikondu is set to compete in the Region IV-5A track and field championships next week at Heroes Stadium in San Antonio.
The regional berth marks the second straight year he has qualified for the meet in the discus, finishing 10th in the event last season and missing out on state.
This season, however, Ikondu is entering the regional meet full of confidence, eyeing a top-two finish and more.
“The mindset going into regionals, and really every meet, is PR every day,” he said. “At regionals, I’m going to go try to PR again and make it to state. Then at state, that’s where we’re going for our biggest marks and hopefully finish as the best in 5A.”
Ikondu isn’t the only RGV athlete making their return to the regional meet next week.
Brownsville Veterans jumper Gerry Gomez secured a pair of regional berths, qualifying in the triple and long jump. Gomez claimed back-to-back area titles in the triple jump with a mark of 44-7, adding a bronze medal in the long jump with a jump of 20-10.
Sharyland Pioneer’s Evan Thompson added a pair of regional berths himself with top-four finishes in the shot put and discus.
The Incarnate Word signee captured his second straight area title in the shot put with a mark of 59-6.5, breaking the meet record set by Sharyland Pioneer’s Johnny Howell (57-8) in 2019. Thompson also qualified in the discus, finishing fourth with a mark of 151-8.
PSJA Southwest’s Marcela Treviño also secured a regional berth in the girls discus throw, her second straight appearance. Treviño set a personal and meet record on her way to the gold, recording a throw of 144-8.
“I just felt it on that throw today,” Trevino said. “The goal for this year, it was just to improve and keep surviving until state. Last year, I kind of came out of nowhere. This year, I have that confidence in myself now that more people know about me.”
In the running events, McAllen Memorial senior Ayden Granados and PSJA Southwest sophomore Yazmin Guerra defended their area championships in the boys and girls 3,200-meter runs, respectively.
Granados finished in 9 minutes, 40.44 seconds to win his second straight 3,200-meter area title, and Guerra clocked in 11:18.99 to also secure a second straight area crown.
For a full list of regional qualifiers and results from Thursday’s area 31/32-5A championships, visit RGVSports.com.
